US leaders tussle as vote for impeachment draws near
The stage is set for a historic vote on Capital Hill tomorrow, where US politicians will decide whether to impeach Donald Trump after months of intense debate.
The House of Representatives is expected to approve articles of impeachment against the President, paving the way for a trial in the Republican-controlled Senate on whether Trump should be removed from office.
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Democrats and Republicans tussled over tactics today as the two sides negotiated how the proceedings would work if there is the green light for the third-ever Senate impeachment trial.
Trump denies the two accusations that he solicited a foreign country to help him politically and that he obstructed Congress.
Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer has already began preparing for next year’s near-inevitable trial by setting out demands for witnesses, but majority leader Mitch McConnell flatly rejected such calls this afternoon.
The standoff focuses on whether or not Trump improperly sought help from Ukraine in his bid to be re-elected to the White House next year.
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The outcome of the vote in the House has looked increasingly certain in recent days, with a group of Democratic House members in Republican-leaning districts coming out in favour of impeachment despite Trump’s best efforts to win their support.
Hours of heated debate are expected before tomorrow’s vote, which comes in the middle of an already-ferocious battle between Democratic nominees looking to challenge Trump in next year’s election.